Demon Records, out now

When an old friend starts behaving strangely, detective Dirk Gently is drawn into a murder investigation involving quantum physics, an Electric Monk, and an ancient mystery that must be solved if the human race is to avoid immediate extinction.

This 2007 six-part adaptation of Douglas Adams’ 1987 novel for BBC Radio 4 by the other Dirk (Maggs) is for my money the best adaptation of the novel to date, and it’s being released for the first time on vinyl. By far the closest to the source material of previous iterations, it perfectly captures the manic humour of Adams’ Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series.

Released on three primary colour 140g platters – red, yellow and blue – each side covers a half-hour episode, featuring comedian Harry Enfield as the deadpan detective, Olivia Colman as his long-suffering secretary Janice and The Lord of the Rings’ Billy Boyd as prime suspect Richard.

Verdict: I have no idea how many times I’ve heard these jokes, but they are zingers, and still crack you up. And what better way to revisit them then with this handsome triple gatefold set. 10/10

Nick Joy

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